Vosaroxin in combination with decitabine in newly diagnosed older patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.

Vosaroxin is an anti-cancer quinolone-derived DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor. We investigated vosaroxin with decitabine in patients ≥60 years of age with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (n=58) or myelodysplastic syndrome (≥10% blasts) (n=7) in a phase II non-randomized trial. The initial 22 patients received vosaroxin 90 mg/m on days 1 and 4 with decitabine 20 mg/m on days 1-5 every 4-6 weeks for up to seven cycles. Due to a high incidence of mucositis the subsequent 43 patients were given vosaroxin 70 mg/m on days 1 and 4. These 65 patients, with a median age of 69 years (range, 60-78), some of whom with secondary leukemia (22%), adverse karyotype (35%), or mutation (20%), are evaluable. The overall response rate was 74% including complete remission in 31 (48%), complete remission with incomplete platelet recovery in 11 (17%), and complete remission with incomplete count recovery in six (9%). The median number of cycles to response was one (range, 1-4). Grade 3/4 mucositis was noted in 17% of all patients. The 70 mg/m induction dose of vosaroxin was associated with similar rates of overall response (74% 73%) and complete remission (51% 41%, =0.44), reduced incidence of mucositis (30% 59%, =0.02), reduced 8-week mortality (9% 23%; =0.14), and improved median overall survival (14.6 months 5.5 months, =0.007). Minimal residual disease-negative status by multiparametric flow-cytometry at response (± 3 months) was achieved in 21 of 39 (54%) evaluable responders and was associated with better median overall survival (34.0 months 8.3 months, =0.023). In conclusion, the combination of vosaroxin with decitabine is effective and well tolerated at a dose of 70 mg/m and warrants randomized prospective evaluation. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01893320.